The IEA was established after the 1973 oil shock as an independent international organization to safeguard energy supplies through collective actions between countries. One of the most important tools for doing this is the IEA technology program, which currently includes some 40 multilateral collaboration projects, called Implementing Agreements, covering most relevant technology aspects of energy supply and end Else. The present IEA World Energy Outlook forecasts a continued growth in world energy demand and a continued dependence on fossil fuels as the primary fuels. projected greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 are thus 35-50% above the 1990 level Increased use of renewables will be necessary to change this negative trend and to reach the long-term goal of a sustainable energy system. The development of many renewables is promising but R&D efforts and market experiments must continue in order to increase their shares of total energy supply. Geothermal energy(1) plays an increasingly significant role in many countries However, there is still huge untapped potential in both developed and developing countries. The new IEA Implementing Agreement on Geothermal Energy Research will be a vital new tool strengthening international cooperation in geothermal energy research and thus in the development of geothermal energy as a commercial environmentally sound energy source.